Posts tagged “Hounds”

On Tuesday, Nov 16, 2010, the Old North Bridge Hounds hunting club will have their final hunt of the year at the Delaney Complex. They’ll be starting out at 10AM from the dam at the south entrance off Harvard Rd. If you haven’t seen them in their fall finery, it’s quite a sight!

I came across the riders and hounds one day back in 2009, and they were more than happy to have me ride along in one of the support cars, asking questions and taking photos. My first question, and the question that gets asked most often, was “are you really hunting for foxes?” No, the “fox” in this case is a scent bag full of anise, which a volunteer drags along the course earlier in the morning. The hounds (don’t call them dogs!) follow the scent trail, and the riders follow the hounds.

The hounds wear radio collars so they can be tracked down if one runs astray, and there are checkpoints, head-counts, and water breaks for the animals (and riders) when they cross Finn Rd.

Come out and watch the hounds as they hunt on Tuesday, 10-12. Leave your dogs at home, or keep them on a short leash. For more information about the hunt club and their schedule of fixtures, visit http://oldnorthbridgehounds.org/